Is Dak Prescott the new Tom Brady, with Tony Romo playing the role of Drew Bledsoe? That’s a scenario that was brought up by Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones as a potential scenario that could play out.
In case you’re not familiar with this reference, Brady replaced Bledsoe early during the 2001 NFL season and never relinquished the job to the veteran.
Speaking with with Peter King of The MMQB, Jones wouldn’t rule out the same thing happening this year for the Cowboys.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where Tony’s not our quarterback when he’s ready,” Jones said. “But things happen. You know that. You know what happened to Bledsoe and [Tom] Brady. I’m sure Tony’s aware of that. But the reality is Tony’s going to come back for us and play great, we believe.”
That’s the sketchiest ringing endorsement in the history of the NFL (this week, at least).
For his part, Prescott says he’s ready and excited for the chance to start for the ‘Boys this year (more on that here).
While head coach Jason Garrett is not ruling out Romo’s availability for Week 1, it’s been reported that Romo’s back needs at least six weeks to heal, if not 10.
The 36-year-old veteran has now suffered back injuries in three out of the last four years, and at this point retirement needs to be on the table. But Romo isn’t thinking about that right now. He told Dez Bryant to stay healthy and keep fighting until he gets back.
But the fact that Jones even brings up the Bledsoe/Brady dynamic when referring to Prescott and Romo tells you all you need to know about both quarterbacks.
The Cowboys clearly feel Prescott is the future.
And while everyone wants Romo to return healthy, it’s hard to imagine he’ll actually play a single down if Prescott continues to look like the second coming of Roger Staubach.
Hold on tight, Cowboys fans. You’re about to experience a roller coaster of emotions this year, no matter how things play out.